1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate to video data processing and, more specifically, to a method and an apparatus for encoding and decoding video data.
2. Description of the Related Art
H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding (AVC), which is one of compression standards of video data, adopts various technologies for increasing compression efficiency, such as multiple reference motion compensation, loop filtering, variable block size motion compensation, entropy coding, such as CABAC, etc.
According to the H.264 standard draft, one picture is divided into macroblocks to encode video data. Then each of the macroblocks is encoded in all encoding modes available in inter-prediction and intra-prediction, one encoding mode is selected according to a bit rate required for encoding the macroblocks, a distortion degree between original macroblocks and decoded macroblocks is determined, and then the macroblocks are encoded.
Intra-prediction refers to a technology that, rather than refer to a reference picture to encode blocks of a current picture, calculates a prediction value for the current picture to be encoded by using pixel values that are spatially adjacent the current picture to be encoded, and then encodes a difference between the prediction value and an actual pixel value. Here, the intra-prediction mode is largely divided into a 4×4 intra-prediction mode (for luminance components), an 8×8 intra-prediction mode (for a high profile), a 16×16 intra-prediction mode, and an intra-prediction mode for chrominance components.